Connoisseurs of high-energy, swinging straight-ahead jazz should check out the Osborne Bar on Thursday nights to hear some of the best New Zealand jazz of this genre. Free admission.
Award-winning saxophonist and New Zealander Roger Manins is a rarity, a true find in Australasian jazz. Regarded as \an outstandingly gifted musician, with a warmly passionate sound, remarkable instrumental ability and total musical integrity. Roger Manins is also a composer, a lecturer in Jazz studies at the University of Auckland, as well as being musical director and co-founder of the Creative Jazz Club Aotearoa.
For the first three Thursdays – 7th, 14th and 21st - in October the experienced and talented tenor sax player Brian Smith will be filling in for Roger Manins at the helm of the quartet. Brian has played with diverse names such as Alexis Korner Blues Band, Tubby Hayes Big Band, Maynard Ferguson Big Band, Lulu, Annie Ross, Georgie Fame and Alan Price, Nancy Wilson and Dusty Springfield. He was a founder member of the jazz fusion band Nucleus, which won top European band at the 1970 Montreaux Jazz Festival, followed by Newport Jazz Festival later in the year, recording 10 albums with Nucleus. He has recorded several albums under his own name.
www.briansmith.net.nz
Hand-picked by Manins, the talented young band accompanying Brian Smith will be PJ Koopman – Guitar; Simon Walker – Drums; Tom Dennison – Double Bass.
20 year old Peter Koopman and already with 5 years’ performing experience under his belt, including with NZ jazz statesmen Brian Smith, Frank Gibson and Roger, says his guitar influences emanate from Kurt Rosenwinkel, John Scofield, Jim Hall and James Muller. He says “he is privileged to be able to work with Roger Manins again.”
A University of Auckland jazz graduate Simon Walker has performed with Kevin Fields, Kevin Haines, Alan Brown and Roger, along with being a session musician for, amongst others, The Mamaku Project. He is under the spell of drummers Ron Samson, Elvin Jones, Ed Blackwell, Jeff Ballard, Mark Guiliana and Jim Black.
Tom Dennison is a young, upcoming double bass player. Hes played with Alan Broadbent, Mike Nock, Anika Moa and some other great New Zealand musicians. He learned how to play by playing outside and all year round at the Mecca Stonehouse Cafe with his high school band the Steven Barry Trio. Hes also been a proud member of the Queen City Big Band.
